Testing

WD Red 1TB Direct Attach ATTO

WD Red 1TB in Icy Dock FatCage ATTO

WD Red 1TB Direct Attach CDM

WD Red 1TB in Icy Dock FatCage CDM

Surprisingly, we did see a small performance increase with the drive installed in the FatCage. The direct attach test was with the drive sitting on a desk. This introduces a small amount of vibration on the drive and performance suffers slightly. With the drive mounted securely the vibration is reduced and the drive operates with higher efficiency.

Our first test with the FatCage was with the fan set to high mode and the sound was definitely enterprise grade. With the fan set to low, we couldn't hear it just a foot away. I would monitor your HDD temperature with Crystal Disk Info or another program that reads SMART data. Then you can see what setting you actually need to keep your drive temperatures down. Some drives are manufactured with a wider operating temperature range so check the manufactures specifications. Your drive choice will make a difference here as well. A WD Green will run cooler than a WD Black.

Final Thoughts

The value of the Icy Dock FatCage MB155SP-B really comes down to the user. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, in this case, if you need to install a handful of 3.5" drives in your system, then this is an easy way to do it.

The drive status LEDs help you keep an eye on them as well. The drive cages can be a pain if you are trying to swap drives in and out on a routine basis. Icy Dock makes a tray-less model that also fits five drives in three 5.25" slots, the MB975SP-B.

I use the tray-less model quite a bit in the lab and find it perfect for testing. Not everyone has a need to swap drives on a daily basis, though.

At $94 (Newegg), the FatCage costs nearly as much as a Lian Li PC-7HA mid-tower computer case. That's always been the biggest issue with products like these; the price is usually more than what most want to spend.

If you have a need for the space then you have to pay, but most of us aren't going to spend $94 for just a few drives.

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